“You know, he knows that divorced and remarried Catholics feel unwelcome, gays and lesbians feel unwelcome,” Martin said. “So, he wants to get at how people feel toward the church and church teaching.”

The survey will arm bishops with critical information when they meet with the Pope next October.

“To me, that’s amazing that he wants to hear from the Catholics in the pews and parishes,” said the Rev. Rev. Gil Martinez of St. Paul the Apostle Church on Ninth Avenue. “This is when all those teachings come into play.”

Martinez is one of the priests in the trenches, and he said the survey is important for bringing back Catholics on the fringe. Some parishioners agreed.

“You need to see if the rules in place really apply to the society as it is today,” said Jim O’Brien.

The survey may not result in a change in church teaching, but it could change the way people are treated in parishes.